New Year – new you! 2022 has started off with a bang for many BJJ athletes, who are more than keen to make it into the best they can. However, if you truly want to make 2022 into your best year so far, you need to set goals. And as much as that’s true for other areas of your life, it’s more than true for your Jiu-Jitsu.
John Danaher has a New Years challenge which will make your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu better by leaps and bounds. If you follow through with it, that is.
Danaher shared how the challenge is based on finding a great athlete, and then trying to improve your game by analyzing and emulating theirs:
A New Years challenge: Are you unhappy with your recent Jiu-Jitsu progress? If so, here is a fun challenge for you. Name a champion Jiu-Jitsu athlete who has a body type and personality that seems in line with your own. Watch a highlight reel of him or her in action. Select one of his signature moves that you believe is something that would apply well to your own game, but which you do not currently use, or don’t perform well.
Watch his set ups, mechanics, tactics, follow ups. Note what he does well and try to assess what he doesn’t do well with it and what could be improved (I know that might seem difficult at first but try even just as a learning exercise).
Now start to think of ways you could integrate that move into your game and how you would both incorporate and modify your champions methods.Once you have a good mental picture of the move, start working on it physically with a friend. Try to teaching back to your friend what you figured out in your own study. When it starts to feel quite natural in drilling – try to hit it in sparring. Afterwards think about your successes and failures with it.
Work on this for one month and see how far you can take it.IF YOU COULD DO THIS EVERY MONTH FOR A YEAR YOU WOULD HAVE A SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT GAME IN TWELVE MONTHS.
This is more than a great learning experience, it’s a fine way to kick start your game out of a lull and add something good in a practical way – give it a try! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
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